


You're Safe

by Nadiainklover



Series: Yellow and Green [8]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Hufflepuff Simon Lewis, M/M, Multi, Saphael, Slytherin Raphael Santiago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-06-28 09:30:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15704508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadiainklover/pseuds/Nadiainklover
Summary: Raphael woke up with the sound of a massive explosion and the castle trembling. He sat up, drawing his curtains open. His roommates were doing the same, looking as if they had just woken up and very confused."What was that?" Magnus asked from his bed."I don't know" Raphael said, standing up and moving towards the door.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> I know it is still very early for Halloween Fics....but I needed to post this because of the order of the series. So, meh. anyway, it is not halloween-centric, so I guess that makes it better haha!
> 
> This will be a multi-chaptered fic! I am still unsure how many chapters, but I promise it will a longer fic for the series. 
> 
> Hope you like it!

Halloween was just a few days away and the whole castle was buzzing with excitement. The pumpkin patch at the grounds of the castle was overflowing with pumpkins and elves at the kitchen had been making multiple recipes with the pumpkins for lunch and dinner. 

Simon had always been a big fan of Halloween. When he was a kid he would usually dress up as a character from his comic books and go around town trick-or-treating. That felt like a thousand years in the past whenever Simon thought about it. Discovering he was a wizard had completely changed Simon's life. It had come as a shock for his family and it was still a struggle for his mother to accept what his life had become. Any memories Simon had of his life as a muggle felt so far away, but he liked to keep them fondly in his memory. He wanted to remember where he came from and not depend completely in magic. Not like he could, anyway, sometimes Simon forgot magic could do almost anything. Most often than not he would find himself going back to his room because he forgot something instead of chanting an 'accio' spell. And the simplest demonstrations of magic still surprised him. Which is why he always gasped and looked amazed at the multiple pumpkins floating in the Great Hall.

 

"You act as if you've never seen them before" Raphael said dryly, rolling his eyes.

"It's just so amazing!" Simon gushed looking at all the different faces carved on the pumpkins "Halloween is my favorite holiday! As a kid I would always dress up. Did you ever dress up? I bet you looked adorable!"

"I never really celebrated Halloween" Raphael shrugged, leading the way towards the Hufflepuff's table where their friends were. They took a seat next to each other across from Catarina. Ragnor was sitting next to her. Magnus was sitting between Alec and Ragnor.

"You never celebrated Halloween?" Simon gasped, looking at his boyfriend with wide eyes.

"My family never did when I was a kid" Raphael explained. "And then when I came here, I was too old to take part in any of the festivities."

"You poor child" Simon gasped dramatically "Halloween is the best holiday! Especially if you're a kid"

"I dressed up a few times" Catarina smiled at them "Especially when we visited my mother's side of the family"

 

Catarina was a half-blood. Her father was a wizard while her mother was a muggle-born. She had grown up in between the two worlds, knowing about magic but also learning a lot about the customs of the muggle world. 

Magnus was also a half-blood, though in his case only his father was a wizard. Her mother had been just a muggle, but she had died when he was very young and Magnus had grown up in the wizarding world.

 

"I think I dressed up once or twice when my mother was still alive" Magnus mused 

"My family celebrated the holiday" Ragnor shrugged "Though there was no dressing up included in the celebrations"

"Wait! Wizards don't dress up for Halloween?" Simon asked with wide eyes.

"We don't" Alec shook his head.

 

Both Alec and Ragnor were purebloods. The Lightwood family was one of the oldest families in the wizarding world. His parents worked at the Ministry of Magic. Alec had grown up basically taking care of his siblings, though they didn't know much about the muggle world.

Ragnor's parents owned a small shop in Diagon Alley. It was a small antiquity shop with multiple magical objects for curious collectors. Ragnor had no siblings, so he had grown up in the small shop.

 

"What is the point of dressing up for Halloween, anyway?" Alec asked with a frown.

"It's the whole point of Halloween!" Simon exclaimed.

"I'm pretty sure it isn't" Raphael rolled his eyes.

 

Their conversation was cut short when Clary took a seat next to Simon, followed by Isabelle and Jace. Soon Clary and Simon started talking about Halloween. Clary had grown up with just her mother in a muggle community, so even though she was pureblood, she still knew a lot about the muggle world. Soon the whole table was filled with multiple conversations at once. Raphael was discussing some essay they had to write with Ragnor, while Isabelle and Magnus were on a heated conversations regarding a wizarding magazine they had just read. Catarina and Alec were discussing one of the novels they had read for Muggle Studies and Jace kept trying to distract Clary with another topic. 

Soon enough all of them finished their dinner and started to make their way towards their rooms. Raphael and Simon walked together towards the Hufflepuff Common Room. They reached the main entrance, stopping a few steps away from it.

 

"I'll catch you tomorrow for breakfast?" Simon asked, playing with Raphael's fingers.

"If you wake up, that is" Raphael smirked.

"I am sorry I woke up late today" Simon groaned "But I fell asleep pretty late reading for DADA class and I didn't feel"

"Of course" Raphael nodded, but there was still a teasing note in his voice.

"You're so mean to me" Simon sighed with a pout.

"See you tomorrow, bebé" Raphael chuckled, pecking Simon's lips and walking away.

 

Simon smiled at Raphael's retreating figure before turning to tap the barrels that lead towards the Hufflepuff Common Room. He was very tired, so Simon decided to head to bed early.

 

***

 

Raphael woke up with the sound of a massive explosion and the castle trembling. He sat up, drawing his curtains open. His roommates were doing the same, looking as if they had just woken up and very confused.

 

"What was that?" Magnus asked from his bed.

"I don't know" Raphael said, standing up and moving towards the door.

 

Magnus followed after him as well as his other two roommates. Walking into the hallway they found several others coming out of their room to investigate what had just happened.

 

"Do you think the giants have come to invade the castle?" A second year asked down the hall.

"Maybe the centaurs are coming out of the forest" Another one mentioned.

"It's the monster in the lake!" A third year exclaimed

"Alright everyone!" One of the Slytherin's prefects called down the hall "Everyone go back to your rooms!"

 

Magnus and Raphael shared a look and decided to make their way towards the common area where the other prefect was trying to get the girls to go back to their rooms as well.

 

"Aline!" Magnus called, approaching the dark-haired girl "What was that sound?"

"We don't know yet" Aline shook her head "It woke us up as well"

"It felt as if it was coming from underground" Raphael frowned.

 

The door of the common room opened and Vivianne Penhallow walked inside. She was the Headmistress of Hogwarts.

 

"Aline" Headmistress Penhallow said immediately "We need to evacuate the Dungeons"

"What happened?" the other prefect asked, walking inside the common area.

"There was an explosion at the kitchens" Headmistress Penhallow informed, causing the gasp of the four students. "Blasted most of the hallway. Already the professors are trying to put down the fire, but we need to evacuate the whole underground level of the castle"

"We're on it" Aline said, moving towards the girls dormitories while the other prefect moved towards the boys dormitories.

"Headmistress Penhallow!" Raphael called, reaching towards Vivianne before she walked out. "The Hufflepuff Common Room...it is very close to the kitchens. Are they alright?"

 

Vivianne Penhallow focused her eyes on him, hesitating for a moment on how to answer. Raphael felt his heart drop, worry creeping around him and making his ears buzz. All he could think about was how close the Hufflepuff Common Room was to the kitchens and if anything had happened to the Hufflepuffs, if anything had happened to Simon...

 

"They are currently trapped inside the common room" Headmistress informed them "The flames are blocking the way to the entrance. The professors are working on putting them away in order to help them out"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Thank you to everyone that has read the previous chapter and commented.   
> Sorry for leaving you hanging for so long.
> 
> Here is a new chapter!  
> Enjoy :)

All of the Slytherin students were evacuated from the dungeons and ordered to stay in the Great Hall. The prefects of all the houses were put in charge of making sure none of them sneaked out while all the professors controlled the damaged made downstairs. Most students had taken a seat on the floor, seeing as all the tables had disappeared. 

Raphael couldn't stop pacing. As soon as Headmistress Penhallow had informed them of what had happened he had rushed to help, but he was held back. They were all forced to stay in the Great Hall with no exceptions, and no matter how much he asked to be allowed to help, the Headmistress had already given her orders. With every minute that passed the worry grew inside of him. He felt sick, imagining the worst case scenarios.

 

"This is ridiculous" Magnus scoffed from his place leaning against the wall. Raphael was pacing in front of him "Catarina and Simon are in there!"

"They would have told us if something bad had happened" Raphael tried to convince himself.

"There must be something we can do" Magnus frowned.

 

The doors of the Great Hall opened, Magnus and Raphael turning their attention with anxious eyes to see who came in. But their yellow and black friends were not there. Instead, the students of the other two houses were lead inside the Great Hall. Ragnor approached them immediately, a frown gracing his face. Alec found them as well, moving to stand close to Magnus.

 

"What the hell happened?" Ragnor asked them. 

"They didn't tell you?" Magnus asked them both.

"Just that we needed to evacuate" Alec shook his head.

"The kitchens exploded" Magnus said "They are trying to put out the fire"

"Where's Cat?" Ragnor asked looking around the room. "Where are the Hufflepuffs?"

"Their common room is close to the kitchen" Alec said with wide eyes, his eyes moving from Magnus to Raphael "Are they alright?"

"We don't know" Raphael shook his head "Last we heard they were trapped inside"

"We have to help them!" Ragnor said immediately

"We've been trying to get them to let us help, but they just won't let us get out of here" Magnus crossed his arms "They keep saying the professors are handling it"

"They obviously aren't or the Hufflepuffs would be here already!" Raphael exclaimed, resuming his pacing. 

 

Raphael tuned out what the other three were talking about, his eyes focusing on the pumpkins above him. His mind kept going to Simon, unable to shake the bad feeling he had. He took a shaky breath, trying to think of anything that would help.

His thoughts were cut short when the doors of the Great Hall opened again. His eyes snapped towards the doors instantly, breathing out when he saw the Hufflepuff students being escorted inside by some of the professors. His eyes moved from face to face, barely noting how frightened and shaky the Hufflepuffs looked, until he spotted Simon among the crowd. He did not notice he was moving until he was so close to Simon that the other noticed him. 

Simon breathed out in relief at the sight of his boyfriend. His eyes burning with unshed tears he wrapped his arms around Raphael's waist, burying his face against Raphael's shoulder. The Slytherin wrapped his own arms around Simon, hugging him close and clutching at the shirt the Hufflepuff was wearing.

 

"Estás bien...Estás a salvo" Raphael kept repeating in Spanish as he buried his nose on Simon's hair.

 

The Hufflepuff didn't notice he was crying until a sob left his lips, making his shoulders shake. Raphael only hugged him tighter, not minding what was happening around them. All that mattered was that Simon was alright and he was safe.

 

"I was so worried!" Raphael exclaimed as soon as they parted.

"I'm alright" Simon sniffed, not daring to step too far away from Raphael.

 

The two of them retreated towards the corner where their group of friends were. Clary instantly threw her arms around Simon, followed closely by Izzy. Raphael stepped back, his eyes turning towards Catarina, where she was standing between Magnus and Ragnor.

 

"You alright?" Raphael asked.

"I'm fine" Catarina nodded.

"What exactly happened?" Alec asked.

"There was an explosion in the kitchens" Simon said, approaching them and moving to wrap his arm around Raphael's waist. The Slytherin pulled him closer to his body, wrapping his own arm around Simon's hips.

"The blast reached the barrels at the main entrance" Catarina explained, nodding at Simon "And then there was fire everywhere! It took some time for the professors to control the fire enough so we could come out"

"How hard is it to put out a fire?" Raphael frowned.

"It was resisting their spells" Simon said "The Hufflepuff prefects were trying to put it out from the inside of the Common Room, it wouldn't budge"

"I heard the professors talking" Catarina said softly so they wouldn't be overheard "The spell used for the fire was dark magic, which is why it took some time for it to be put out"

"Dark magic?" Magnus asked with a frown "So that means the explosion was intentional."

"Why would anybody want to blow up the kitchens?" Alec wondered, stepping closer to Magnus and taking his hand.

"How could anyone get past the wards in Hogwarts?" Ragnor asked in disbelief.

"No one can" Raphael shook his head "That only means it was somebody that is already inside the castle"

 

By now the whole Great Hall was buzzing with activity, everyone having learned by now what had happened. The doors of the Hall opened once more and the last of the professors stepped inside, followed by Vivianne Penhallow. Everyone quieted down as the Headmistress walked towards the front of the Great Hall and turned to face them all. 

All the Hufflepuffs had shuffled closer to their friends or sticked together. The whole experience was very frightening for them all. They had been woken up by the same blast as the rest of the castle, but they felt it much more closer. Some of them had been left temporarily deft due to the closeness of the explosion. And then the fire at the entrance that had not allowed them to come out, trapping them inside their common room.

 

"Students" Headmistress Penhallow addressed them. "Please settle down. There are no reasons to panic"

"The kitchens burnt out!" A student cried. "that's plenty of reasons to panic!"

 

Multiple voices filled the Great Hall. Multiple students were asking questions, making demands, and crying out in panic. The professors attempted to calm them all down, but they had little success. Simon kept quiet, though, which was very unlikely for his usual talkative self. He stepped closer to Raphael, the Slytherin trailing his worried eyes over his boyfriend. 

 

"SILENCE!" Headmistress Penhallow raised her voice with a charm and instantly the whole Great Hall fell silent. She then returned her voice to normal and continued speaking to everyone "Thank you. Now, I understand the circumstances have caused a fright. It is alright to be scared, but be assured the Professors and I have handled the situation."

"What happened?" A first year asked timidly, but everyone heard him.

"There was a fire in the kitchens" Headmistress Penhallow explained "It reached the Hufflepuff's Common Room entrance. We are looking into the source of the fire. Thankfully, nobody has been harmed"

"Physically harmed" Catarina mumbled "Everyone in Hufflepuff is scared out of their bones!"

"It was horrible" Simon shook his head.

"Every student will spend the night here, in the Great Hall" Headmistress Penhallow continued "We are unsure of the cause of the fire and do not want to risk any of the other Houses. Classes are cancelled for tomorrow"

 

Headmistress Penhallow continued to explain some other things, the sleeping arrangements and how the Professors would be in duty looking over them all. Simon stopped listening and only separated from Raphael when they were all given sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets. Simon settled down with Raphael and his friends in the same corner where they were all standing. They huddled together, a little apart from the rest of the students. Simon cuddled against Raphael's side, the Slytherin wrapping his arm around Simon. Both of them had their backs to the wall, leaning against them. Across from them were Catarina and Ragnor, sitting cross-legged. Magnus and Alec were next to the four of them, against the other wall. They were sitting very close together, sharing one of the blankets that was wrapped around both of their shoulders.

 

"Who do you think did it?" Ragnor asked quietly. Even though they were a little away from the rest, they could still be overheard.

"I don't think it was a student" Magnus shook his head "Dark Magic is very complicated. In the case it was a student, it most have been a seventh year...maybe sixth, but very unlikely"

"Are we thinking a professor then?" Ragnor asked

"It is possible" Magnus nodded. "We'll need to go to the kitchens to get more information"

"Wait...what are you guys talking about?" Simon asked with wide eyes.

"We'll try to figure out who did it, of course" Magnus explained with a roll of his eyes "Do keep up, Sherman"

"You can't be serious!" Simon asked.

"For once I agree with him" Alec nodded "You'll get in trouble"

"We can't let this go unresolved!" Magnus exclaimed

"It won't" Alec shook his head "You heard Headmistress Penhallow...they are looking into it"

"They won't find anything" Ragnor rolled his eyes "And if they do, they won't tell us. If we want answers, we have to look for them ourselves"

"Why do you want to know who did it?" Simon asked with a frown.

"Two of our friends were directly affected by this!" Ragnor said "I know for a fact Cat won't sleep a blink. And you need the physical reassurance of your boyfriend to stop thinking about what happened"

"How does he know that?" Simon asked Raphael in desbelief

"He's really good at reading people" Raphael shrugged.

"I think we should look" Catarina spoke "I mean...I want to do who did it and why. If it was an attack at the kitchens, the castle in general, or maybe to us Hufflepuffs..."

"I have to agree with Cat" Raphael nodded "It could be a personal attack for all we know"

"So...we're going to look for the person who tried to kill us?" Simon asked with wide eyes. Raphael, Catarina, Ragnor, and Magnus nodded in response.

"You guys are insane" Alec shook his head.

"Does that mean you're not joining us?" Magnus asked him.

"Of course not" Alec scoffed "I'll help...Someone has to make sure you don't do something stupid and get yourselves expelled"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!
> 
> I am so sorry it took me so long to update!! I had written this chapter way back and then I lost everything that I had written. I had a hard time re-writing it and it was super frustrating. Sorry :P 
> 
> Thanks to everyone that has been reading my stories and keeps commenting! It means the world to me!
> 
> Hope you like this chapter :)

"Attention please!" Headmistress Penhallow said the next morning.

 

Everyone was reunited in the Great Hall, where they had spent the night after the explosion in the kitchens. Every student had been evacuated from their rooms for their safety and ordered to spend the night sleeping in the Great Hall. Though very few students managed to get some sleep. The Hufflepuffs were still shaken after what had happened. 

 

“The professors and I have been dealing with last night’s events all night” Headmistress Penhallow spoke.

“Who did this?” A girl from Ravenclaw asked

“We are not sure yet” Headmistress Penhallow replied “We are still investigating that. But be reassured that it will not happen again”

 

The student body started to protest. A lot of them asking multiple questions at a time. 

 

“How can we be reassured we’re safe if whoever did it is still out there?” Catarina mumbled.

“They could be in this same room for all we know” Magnus grumbled.

 

They quieted down when Headmistress Penhallow raised her voice. Some of the professors had approached the students in order to keep them calm.

 

“I know this is all very frightening. But please do not fear and trust that the professors and I are doing everything in order to keep you safe” She said

“Can we go back to our rooms?” A third-year Hufflepuff asked.

“Unfortunately, the Hufflepuff Rooms suffered too much after the fire” Headmistress Penhallow explained “Students, we need you to support our fellow Hufflepuffs. I have already spoken to each Head of the Houses, and we have come to an agreement. Hufflepuffs from First to Third year will stay at the Ravenclaw Rooms. Fourth and Fifth years will stay with Gryffindor. Sixth and Seventh years are staying with Slytherin. Each of them will be provided with their own beds. Your things have been taken care of. You will find them in your new beds."

 

There were a few grumbles from some of the Hufflepuffs, but Simon tuned it all out. Instead he sighed in relief, turning to smile shyly at his boyfriend. Soon they were allowed to leave. The Prefects of each house guiding the corresponding years towards their rooms where they would be staying. 

Simon followed the Slytherins. He held tightly to Raphael's hand while Catarina wrapped her arm around his shoulders. It was a relief to him that he would be staying with the Slytherins. Though it seemed unlikely that he would be placed in Raphael's room. He guessed being in the Slytherin rooms was enough for him.

As soon as they reached the Slytherin Rooms, they were told the password in order to enter. Simon always thought the system of the passwords was too confusing. He was not good memorising things, and the passwords changed so quick he would be lucky if he remembered them at all. Magnus quickly moved towards the Prefects and charmed them into placing Simon in their room.

 

"I wasn't so lucky with Cat" Magnus pouted

"It's alright" Catarina smiled at him "I'll just sneak in"

"You can do that?" Simon asked with his eyebrows raised.

"We've found a way to work around the spell" Catarina winked at him.

"It is a stupid spell" Magnus rolled his eyes. "Seriously, keeping boys and girls separated...this is the 21st century!"

 

Catarina walked off towards the room she had been assigned while Simon followed after Magnus and Raphael. He knew the corridor, having been there before. Entering the bedroom he recognised it immediately, though now a new bed had been added to the room. His things had been placed on top of the covers and the curtains were drawn open. 

 

"We have the whole weekend to plan" Magnus started "I'll go meet with Alexander. Meet you guys in the grounds after lunch?"

 

He didn't wait for them to answer before he walked out of the room. Raphael shook his head with a scoff. Simon chuckled, deciding to lay down on Raphael's bed instead of the one that had been placed for him. Raphael smiled at him fondly and then joined him. Simon arranged his body so his back was pressed against Raphael's chest. The Slytherin took out his wand and drew closed the curtains. Then he slid his arms around Simon's waist, placing a kiss on the back of his neck.

 

"How you feeling?" Raphael whispered.

"Much better now" Simon mumbled, lacing his fingers with Raphael's.

"I'm so glad you're alright" Raphael sighed, closing his eyes and breathing in Simon's shampoo's.

"I was so scared" Simon said so softly Raphael almost missed it. "The explosion woke me up and I didn't know what was going on..."

"You're safe now" Raphael said, tightening his hold on Simon. "I've got you"

"Thank you" Simon sighed "Now let's take a nap"

 

***

Raphael and Simon met with everyone after lunch. Classes had been cancelled for that day because of the accident. It was a good thing it was a Friday, so they had a longer weekend. Simon's new friends were sitting down on the grass, taking cover from the sun under the shade of a tree. Magnus waved at them as he saw the approaching, patting the grass next to him so they would take a seat. Simon sat down cross-legged and Raphael decided to lay down with his head on Simon's lap. Alec was leaning against the trunk of the tree, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. If Simon didn't know any better, he would have thought the Gryffindor was asleep. Magnus was sitting next to him, painting his nails with his wand. Catarina and Ragnor were also there, multiple books scattered in front of them. Catarina was lying down on her stomach, moving through the pages of one of the books. Ragnor was sitting crossed legged, silently reading one of the books.

 

"So what's up?" Simon asked

"The sky" Ragnor replied without looking up from his book.

"Oh ha ha" Simon rolled his eyes.

"We need a plan" Magnus spoke, waving his hands as the nail polish dried.

"How are we going to form a plan if we know nothing?" Simon frowned.

"I say we go to the place of the accident" Magnus shrugged "Look around, try to find some clues..."

"The Kitchens will be guarded by the professors" Raphael pointed out.

"Yeah, I bet a lot of students will try to have a look" Catarina said, abandoning her book. 

"It won't be guarded all the time" Alec spoke, opening his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Simon asked.

"If the professors think all the students are too busy to snoop around the Kitchens, there won't be any need for them to guard it" Alec explained.

"Dinner" Ragnor said, closing the book with a snap "Everyone will be in the Great Hall for dinner. They won't guard the Kitchens then"

"Exactly" Alec nodded.

"So we go look around during dinner" Magnus grinned.

"Don't you think it will be too suspicious if we're all gone from dinner?" Simon asked nervously "I mean...someone's got to notice"

"We'll attract too much attention" Catarina nodded.

"Then just some of us go" Raphael shrugged "The others will keep an eye out in case one of the professors leave the Great Hall"

"Alexander, Raphael and I will go" Magnus said with a nod "Cat, Ragnor, and Sean can keep an eye out during dinner"

"Why do you insist on calling me anything but my name?" Simon frowned at Magnus, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Seamus" Magnus grinned at him.

 

Simon rolled his eyes and then turned his attention towards his boyfriend. Raphael had closed his eyes and relaxed completely against Simon. The Hufflepuff smiled down at the sight and started playing with Raphael's hair. The Slytherin huffed softly, but did not stop Simon. 

Everyone else minded their own business. Catarina and Ragnor continued looking through the different books they had. Magnus moved to sit next to Alec and they started to talk quietly between themselves. 

Their silence was interrupted by someone calling Simon's name. The Hufflepuff looked up, looking around the ground until he spotted Clary standing a few paces away from them. She had her arms crossed against her chest, her red hair moving with the soft wind.

 

"Sorry guys" Simon said starting to move. Raphael groaned when he was forced to sit down.

"Where are you going?" Raphael asked him.

"Clary is calling me" Simon shrugged. "see you before dinner?"

"Sure" Raphael sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!
> 
> Here is a new chapter!  
> Sorry for leaving you waiting :) I hope you like this one!

Simon and Clary made it to the Owlery without a word being exchanged. It was unusual for Clary to be so silent and that worried Simon. He, however, decided not to say a thing and wait for her to talk first. Their friendship worked that way. Simon was a great listener and Clary loved having someone to hear her out. 

 

"I bet it is creepy sharing a room with the Slytherins" Clary spoke as they climbed up the stairs.

"It's alright" Simon shrugged "I had already been to the common room, so it isn't anything I hadn't seen before."

"You visited the Slytherin Common Room before?" Clary raised her eyebrows.

"With Raphael" Simon nodded.

"Wow! I didn't know you guys were already there" Clary's eyes widened. "To be honest, I never thought you would"

"What do you mean?" Simon frowned. They reached the Owlery, many owls flying around and cooing at them. Simon stopped by the door while Clary moved towards her owl.

"Isn't Raphael like not interested in sex at all?" Clary asked.

"He's asexual" Simon crossed his arms "And just because we've gone to his room together does not mean we're having sex"

"I always wondered how that was going to work. In your relationship, I mean" Clary mused, apparently not hearing Simon's last part

"That doesn't affect our relationship" Simon scoffed

"No, I know" Clary shook her head "That's not what I meant"

"Uh huh" Simon murmured, looking away from her.

"Look, whatever" Clary sighed "I actually needed to talk to you about something"

"About what?" Simon asked.

"I've been talking to my brother" Clary explained.

"Jonathan?" Simon frowned "Since when?" 

"Just a few days" Clary shrugged "You know I never got to meet him"

"Because he stayed with your father while Jocelyn took you with her" Simon nodded.

 

He had heard Clary's story multiple times. When she was just a baby, her parents had gotten a divorce. Clary had an older brother by a year, Jonathan, who stayed with their father, Valentine. Jocelyn had decided to take Clary with her after the separation, and the red-head had grown up in a muggle community with her mother.

Jonathan had been sorted into Slytherin while Clary was a Gryffindor. Their houses were just one of the many things that made them different. Simon had never liked Jonathan. The Seventh Grade Slytherin was known for bullying younger students. In Simon's opinion, he was one of the reasons why Slytherin had a bad name. Even though Clary and Jonathan studied in the same school, they never really talked to each other. The fallout between Jocelyn and Valentine had not been a nice one, so the siblings kept a distance between each other.

 

"He says he wants to get to know me" Clary explained.

"Okay" Simon frowned "Isn't it weird? Why is he suddenly interested?"

"Because I'm his sister" Clary rolled her eyes "He says he regrets that we didn't grow up together and that we drifted apart"

"Alright" Simon said, but he was still frowning "Do you trust him?"

"I guess we'll see" Clary shrugged.

 

***

 

Simon spent the rest of the day hanging out with Clary. At some point they met up with Izzy and Jace and spent the rest of the afternoon together until dinner time. Simon walked into the Great Hall and noticed Raphael at the Slytherin table immediately. He excused himself from his friends and moved towards him.

 

"Hey" Simon pecked his boyfriend's lips and then took a seat next to him "I thought I was not going to catch you before you...you know"

"Magnus and Alec are already there" Raphael explained "I wanted to wait for you"

"I'm sure you just wanted to eat something" Simon rolled his eyes but he grinned

"You've caught me" Raphael smirked "I actually had forgotten about you completely"

"That's so mean" Simon gasped.

"I should get going" Raphael chuckled. "Wait for me here and we'll walk back to our room together"

"Sure" Simon smiled "I'll be at the Gryffindor table"

"Alright" Raphael stood up, placing his hand on Simon's shoulder.

"Be careful" Simon said softly. So softly Raphael almost did not hear him.

"I will" Raphael nodded "See you later"

 

Simon watched Raphael walk out of the Great Hall without anyone noticing him. Once Raphael was out, Simon stood up and made his way towards the Gryffindor table. He took a seat next to Izzy, joining into their conversation.

 

"Has anyone seen Alec?" Izzy frowned, looking down the table and not catching any glimpses of her brother.

"I saw him with Magnus" Simon lied instantly "Somewhere in the Slytherin table"

"They're not there" Clary said, looking directly at the Slytherin table

"Maybe they went somewhere together" Simon shrugged

"Ough, disgusting" Jace groaned "I don't want to know what my brother is doing with his boyfriend"

 

The group moved to a new subject. Izzy and Clary started retelling something that had happened during their Herbology class. Jace commented here and there, making jokes and side comments. Simon listened mostly, responding only when directly spoken to. He kept an eye on the Professor's table and the front door, making sure nobody left the Great Hall. He also wanted to know first thing when Alec, Magnus, and Raphael came back. He was barely paying attention to anything else when he felt a hand pressing against his shoulder. Simon jumped, startled, and looked up to find Ragnor and Catarina there. Simon's friends quieted down at the sight of the two Seventh graders.

 

"Sorry guys" Catarina smiled at them "We need to borrow Simon for a bit"

"Why?" Clary frowned from across the table.

"We want to plan our next visit to Hogsmeade" Ragnor replied with a shrug "This time we are not allowing the love birds to escape and abandon us"

"You're going with them?" Clary said, her disappointment clear in her face. "I thought we were going together"

"Oh...uh...yeah" Simon smiled apologetically "I made plans with them"

"That's alright" Izzy waved her hand in dismiss. 

"Great" Catarina grinned "Come on Simon!"

 

Catarina pulled at his arm, forcing him to stand up. Ragnor hooked his arm on Simon's free arm and the three of them trailed off towards the Hufflepuff table. Taking a seat away from the rest of the students, Ragnor and Catarina leaned closer in order to whisper.

 

"What's going on?" Simon asked with wide eyes.

"Alec sent us a message" Ragnor murmured, pretending to put food on his plate. "Someone saw them down there"

"Who?" Simon's eyes widened "All the professors are here!"

"Jonathan Morgenstern" Catarina said under her breath, filling her cup with juice.

"We don't know much else" Ragnor explained "But we are meeting tonight so they can tell us the rest"

 

Simon nodded, but did not say much else. Just then the doors of the Great Hall opened a few students started to fill out. Simon looked up just in time to see Raphael, Magnus, and Alec sneak inside. Magnus located them instantly and guided Raphael and Alec towards them. Simon moved so Raphael could sit next to him, Magnus and Alec taking a seat across from them.

 

"Are you alright?" Simon asked, his eyes trailing over Raphael's face with worry.

"Estoy bien" Raphael murmured he was fine in Spanish.

"What happened?" Simon asked then, linking his hand with Raphael's.

"Not here" Alec shook his head. He was looking over Simon's head, his eyes fixed on something.

 

Simon turned around and saw Jonathan walking inside the Great Hall. He walked with confidence, his eyes moving towards their table. He smirked, his eyes locking with Simon and sending him a wink before walking away.

 

"What's his deal?" Ragnor scoffed.

"We don't know" Magnus shook his head "But there is something going on with him"

"Do you think he's connected?" Catarina asked.

"We don't know for sure" Alec shook his head.

"I have a feeling he is" Raphael grumbled.

"We'll meet at our room tonight" Magnus said "I convinced Elliot and Stan to sleep somewhere else for tonight. We'll have the room for ourselves"

 

***

 

Ragnor, Alec, and Catarina sneaked inside the Slytherin Common Room and the six of them met in Raphael's and Magnus's room. They had waited until it was very late at night, making sure nobody would notice.

 

"So what exactly happened down there?" Simon asked. 

 

He was sitting between Raphael's legs, curled against his chest. Raphael's back was against the headboard of his bed, and he was playing absentmindedly with Simon's hair. 

Magnus and Alec were in Magnus's bed, sitting next to each other. Alec had his arm around Magnus's shoulder, the Slytherin curled on Alec's side while he played with Alec's fingers.

Catarina was in the bed that had been placed for Alec, lying down on her stomach with her head in her hands. Ragnor was sprawled carelessly over Stan's bed.

 

"Alexander and I went there first" Magnus explained "We were looking around the hallway, examining the marks the fire left and that kind of stuff"

"How much was damaged?" Catarina asked.

"Well, the walls were black with burnt marks and all the painting had been taken off" Alec explained "But other than that, it did not look so bad"

"Which is strange, if you ask me" Magnus shrugged "Whatever spell was used is not a common explosion or fire spell. This one manifested differently"

"I arrived then" Raphael said "and we made our way towards the kitchens"

"The place was a mess" Alec shook his head "Everything was destroyed, barely anything left"

"Do you know what happened to the elves?" Catarina asked worried.

"I heard Headmistress Penhallow say they were not in the Kitchens during the explosion" Ragnor spoke "It was late at night, they were in whatever it is that they sleep at"

"Well, that's good" Catarina said relieved.

"Did you find any clues there?" Simon asked then.

"Not much" Raphael shook his head "We guess whoever did it was not in the room for the event"

"Which can mean two things" Magnus said "Either they managed to apparate in and our of the kitchens"

"Which is unlikely with all the wards on the castle" Alec said grimly

"Indeed" Magnus nodded "Or they chanted something, set a timer of sorts, and placed it in the kitchens earlier on the day"

"Like a time-bomb" Simon frowned.

"Exactly like a time-bomb" Magnus nodded

"What is a time-bomb?" Ragnor asked confused.

"Muggle invention" Magnus explained "It's basically what the name says, it is a bomb with a timer"

"We can look for spells that go along that description" Catarina said "Maybe there is something in the library"

"We'll look tomorrow" Raphael nodded

"What happened with Jonathan Morgenstern?" Ragnor asked then.

"Yeah! What's his deal?" Catarina frowned "That guy gives me the creeps"

"He found us in the Kitchens" Alec responded grimly.

"We doubt he heard us talking...but he still took us by surprise" Magnus explained.

"What was he doing there?" Simon asked.

"We figured he most have followed me" Raphael explained with a sigh

"Or he was checking the place by himself" Magnus shrugged

"There's something wrong with him" Simon shook his head "The way he stared at us tonight...as if he knew something we don't"

"You don't think he's involved, do you?" Catarina asked surprised.

"It would make sense" Simon shrugged "All criminals return to the crime-scene...And what Clary told me today, it just seems too suspicious"

"What did Clary tell you today?" Raphael asked with a frown.

"She said Jonathan has been reaching out to her" Simon explained "You know they're siblings...Apparently, he wants to get to know his sister"

"That's not enough evidence" Magnus frowned "But it certainly could lead to something...we should keep an eye on him"


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!
> 
> I know it took some time to update, but here is the new chapter.
> 
> hope you enjoy it :)

They spent both Saturday and Sunday looking for clues. They looked around the castle, tried to get some answers from the Professors without raising too much attention, sneaked into the Kitchens and Hufflepuff Common Room a few times, but they received no new information. Raphael, Simon, and Ragnor had been tasked with looking into books for spells that could fit the description of what had happened. Ragnor was looking through the private Ravenclaw Library while Raphael and Simon looked at the Library of the school. 

Monday came and they were forced to return to their normal schedules. Simon tried to pay attention in his classes, but his mind kept buzzing with all kinds of questions. It was during Charms class, one he shared with the Gryffindors, that Simon found something.

 

"I hate Charms" Clary sighed as they practiced a new spell. Of course, Simon and Clary were partnered together, they always were when they shared a class. 

"Why did you decided to take Charm for your N.E.W.T.S then?" Simon asked

"I need the credits" Clary shrugged "You know I am trying out for Auror"

"All of you are trying out for Aurors after Hogwarts" Simon frowned "You, Izzy, Jace, Alec...I still have no idea what to do after graduation"

"What is Raphael doing?" Clary asked. She never really saw eye-to-eye with Raphael, but Simon appreciated that at least she sometimes tried for him.

"I don't know, actually" Simon frowned "He's never told me"

"Don't you find that weird?" Clary asked innocently "I mean, he's your boyfriend. Shouldn't he be telling you this kind of stuff?"

"I haven't really asked" Simon shrugged "it's not like he's keeping it a secret or something"

"I don't know Si" Clary tisked

"Why are you doing this?" Simon sighed "I mean...you keep making these comments about Raphael-"

"I'm not!" Clary protested instantly. "I'm just warning you...what will you do next year when he's not here anymore? Do you think you'll stay together?"

 

Before Simon could reply, their Professor approached them and requested for them to perform the charm. They did with just a bit of difficulty. They received some pointers from their Professors before he moved on. Clary soon changed the subject of their conversation, so Simon did not had the chance to reply to her previous comment. Though he could not help notice that her question bothered him.

 

"My brother is so good with Charms" Clary sighed, tying her hair back in a pony-tail.

"Jonathan?" Simon asked, still not used to Clary calling Jonathan 'her brother'.

"Yeah! He was always brilliant at them!" Clary nodded enthusiastically "I remember when we were younger and living together. He would read through Valentine's books and perform some spells, he never had much difficulty with them"

"What kind of books?" Simon asked then.

"I don't know" Clary shrugged "Certainly nothing like they have here in school. I think Valentine experimented with some and modified some spells"

 

Simon nodded, but decided not to comment. Instead, he stored that information for later. Jonathan was one of their main suspects, though they had no real proof behind their suspicions. But everyone knew Valentine was not exactly innocent. There was a big downfall a few years back, when Simon was not in Hogwarts yet. He did not find out about it until he came to school, but apparently it was a big deal. Apparently, Valentine had been accused of forming a revolt against the Ministry of Magic. Rumors said he was gathering people in order to go to war with the Wizarding World. His goal was to remove all muggle-borns. Unfortunately, there was never any real evidence that incriminated Valentine. He had been sent to Azkaban for a few days, but he was released when the charges were dropped off. It was around that time that Clary's mother had left with her daughter to live in the muggle world.

Simon didn't really have an opinion regarding Valentine. Clary was his best friend and she did not like to talk about her father too much. Simon had never even met the man, so he could not really say if he believed in the rumors or not. Though there was something unsettling with the thought of someone wanting to remove all muggle-borns from the Wizarding World. But if Valentine had his own books filled with spells that could not be found in Hogwarts and Jonathan had somehow gotten hold of them...well, it would explain why the spell that was used in the Kitchens was unknown to everyone.

He explained as much to the group during lunch. They were all sitting in the Hufflepuff table. They did not want to be too close to the Slytherins in case they were overheard. 

 

"But we still have no real evidence" Alec shook his head "We would need to find a spell in Valentine's books and prove that Jonathan knows them"

"Yeah, and unless anyone wants to make a road trip to a criminal's house, we've still got nothing" Ragnor said.

"We'll have to keep an eye on Jonathan" Magnus murmured.

"What if he brought the books with him?" Simon asked "I mean, what if the books are not at his house but he has them with him?"

"So we look through Jonathan's things?" Raphael raised an eyebrow

"It's worth a shot" Catarina shrugged.

"We can try" Magnus nodded "We'll find the right moment to"

 

They finished eating and then each of them went to their classes. Simon still had two more classes before the day was over. They went by without problem and then he made his way to the Library where he knew Raphael would be waiting for him. 

The Slytherin was at his usual table, reading a book. The light of the sunset streamed through the window, hitting Raphael's profile beautifully. Simon felt the itching to take a photo, but he didn't have how to at the moment. 

 

"Stop staring at me" Raphael spoke from his place, not looking up from his book.

"I can't help it" Simon said cheerily, but he still moved to take a seat next to Raphael.

 

When they first started dating, Simon would take the seat across from Raphael. It was until later that he started sitting next to his boyfriend. They usually sat so close their shoulders brushed together, and they linked their ankles underneath the table. Simon would sometimes lay his head on Raphael's shoulder, or press a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek. There was something about working together so physically close that Simon enjoyed so much.

 

"How was your day?" Raphael murmured, turning his head in time for Simon to kiss him. 

"Long" Simon groaned when he pulled back. The Hufflepuff slumped in his seat, letting his bag drop to the floor with a loud 'thud'.

"At least is over now" Raphael sighed, chuckling fondly at the mess of his boyfriend.

"hey! I have a question" Simon asked perking up "What are you going to do after you graduate?" 

"I am still unsure" Raphael shrugged.

"But you're aiming for all these credits for your N.E.W.T.S" Simon said with a frown "Are you trying out to be an Auror?"

"Dios, no" Raphael shook his head. "I thought I could go into Politics, actually. I am still unsure in which branch of the Ministry, but I want to have all the credits if necessary"

"That's so cool" Simon said with awe.

"What about you?" Raphael asked "Have you thought what you want to do after Hogwarts?"

"Not really" Simon shrugged "I still have a whole year...but I've been toying with the idea of something in education? I don't really know"

"Well, whatever you decide, you'll do fine" Raphael said. 

 

Simon smiled brightly at him and then started taking his things out. The two of them worked on their own homework for almost an hour. Raphael had gotten used to how much Simon fidgeted while he worked. It was something that he had grown to love. There were many things that Raphael had grown to love about Simon. It scared him when he first realized it, and it still did if he thought about it too much. Loving the things Simon did. Loving Simon. He had never allowed himself to say it out loud. Not in English, at least. He had confessed he thought he was in love with Simon when Raphael had explained his sexuality to the Hufflepuff. He had said it in Spanish though, so Simon had no idea what Raphael had said. But Raphael was more convinced with every moment he spent with Simon that he was in love with him. The events of the last couple of days only helped to reinforce that thought. Those moments when the explosion had just happened and Raphael had no idea what had happened to Simon were the most frightening moments of his life. 

 

"Do you wanna do some research before we go to dinner?" Simon asked, closing his book with a groan "I can't keep thinking about Potions"

"Sure" Raphael nodded, closing his own book. "I propose we look through the Defense Against the Dark Arts area today. We have not checked those and we might find something"

"Sounds like a plan" Simon smiled. 

 

They left their things in the table, only taking their wands with them. Simon linked their fingers as they walked down the aisles of books. It was another thing that Raphael loved about Simon, how much he needed physical contact. Raphael was not a touchy-kind of person, Simon was the only one he ever allowed to touch him at any moment. There was something about having Simon so close to him, knowing that the Hufflepuff liked being close to him...It left a tightness in Raphael's heart. 

 

"You seem distracted" Simon said, tugging at Raphael's hand to stop him.

"Lo siento" Raphael sighed "I'm just tired"

"Maybe we can do the research tomorrow?" Simon asked "We can get some rest before dinner"

"No, it's fine" Raphael shook his head, tugging Simon closer to him. "I promise, it was just a long day"

"Well, maybe you need some distraction" 

 

Simon smiled shyly, letting go of Raphael's hand and wrapping his arms around his neck. Raphael smirked, his fingers hooking on Simon's belt-loops. 

 

"Oh yeah?" Raphael chuckled "What do you have in mind?"

 

Simon opened his mouth to respond, but the words never came out. It all happened too fast. One moment Simon was pulling Raphael close to him, the next the Slytherin was pushing him to the floor when an explosion boomed all over the library. The windows blew up, many books fell from the bookshelves. Raphael covered Simon's body with his and he used his own hands to cover his head.

 

"What was that?!" Simon cried pushing at Raphael's chest to get him to stand up.

 

The room quickly filled with smoke and both of them could feel the heat of a fire nearby. Raphael stood up, drawing his wand out. Simon did the same, though he stumbled a bit more. Raphael grabbed his hand tightly.

 

"We need to get out of here" Raphael said urgently.

 

Simon nodded and together they started to make their way through multiple bookshelves. The smoke grew thicker the closer they got to the entrance. They stumbled upon some students that were panicking and making their way out as well. However, the whole entrance was blocked. Bookshelves had fallen down and covered the main entrance, and the fire had started to spread out more.

 

"We're trapped!!" Someone behind them cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I will not take too long to update this one.
> 
> Leave your comments below and some kudos! :)
> 
> Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wrote this chapter a while back and it completely slipped my mind to post it! I'm sorry for that.
> 
> But here is the new chapter! And I am already half-way through with the next one, so hopefully I'll post that one real quick :)

Everybody was panicking. The main entrance was blocked by some bookshelves that had fallen over and the fire was spreading over the room, smoke quickly filling the air.

 

"We need to get everybody together" Raphael said looking around the room. There were a few students by the entrance, but there probably were more around the library that had not moved or had not found their way back to the entrance.

"We need to get out of here!" A girl from Gryffindor exclaimed.

"We've got to move the bookshelves. Help me Leviosa them up" Simon said, pointing at some students. He then turned towards Raphael "Rapha, make sure everyone gets here soon!"

 

Raphael was surprised for half a second at Simon's commands, but he soon moved forward. A seventh year boy from Ravenclaw and a fifth year Gryffindor joined him, and the three of them looked around the library, calling out for any missing students.

Simon and some other students used the charm Wingardium Leviosa to levitate the bookshelves up. As soon as they lifted the first one, the other one slammed into the floor, making the flames grew even more. Students cried in fright, coughing with the smoke.

 

"We're going to die here!" A first year hufflepuff cried.

"We are not going to die" Simon said firmly. "Come on, we can do this. I'm sure help is coming soon"

 

Raphael joined them soon enough, a few more students following after him. The Slytherin nodded at him to indicate they had found the other students that were in the library. By then the heat of the fire was growing stronger and the smoke was making it much harder for them to breathe, which made it hard for them to concentrate on keeping their spells up.

The younger students huddled together, while the oldest chanted protective spells around them to keep the smoke and fire from hurting them. Simon, Raphael, and two other students tried to use Wingardium Leviosa to lift the other bookshelf. They were trying hard not to drop the bookshelf when it was suddenly lifted for them. More smoke and flames flared up as the entrance was cleared out.

Professors started to pour inside. Some reached instantly towards the students while others moved towards the fire and started working on keeping it down. All the students were rushed out of the library and towards the infirmary. Simon tried to stay close to Raphael, but they were separated on the chaos of it all. Each students was attended individually. The youngest students were crying, most of them were in shock. They had multiple burns and they had inhaled a lot of smoke. Simon coughed uncontrollably as he was being examined, the nurse casting a few healing spells on him and giving him a potion before moving to the next student. The potion made him drowsy, and before he knew it he blacked out.

 

***

 

"Poor Simon"

"He shouldn't have been at the library so late"

 

Simon groaned at the sound of multiple voices around him. He tried opening his eyes, but the bright lights blinded him and he closed them again.

 

"Simon!" someone exclaimed from his right side.

"Give him some space!"

 

Simon groaned once more, blinking a few times until his eyes were able to adjust to the light. Looking around he found Clary, Isabelle, Jace and Alec around his bed. Clary flung herself at him instantly, wrapping her arms around his neck. Simon coughed with the impact of her body against his, but he tried to hug her back.

 

"You scared us!" Clary exclaimed

"Ow...Clary" Simon coughed "P-Please...not so loud"

"Sorry" Clary said pulling back

"How are you feeling?" Izzy asked.

"Do you know who caused the explosion? did you see anything?" Clary started firing questions at him.

"W-What?" Simon asked confused. He sat up with some difficulty, but he managed enough to look at them all better.

"The explosion" Jace repeated "It was obviously caused by somebody"

"This is the second one you were involved it" Clary clarified "We wanted to know if you saw anything"

"I...I don't know" Simon frowned "It all happened too fast..."

"Tell us what you remember" Izzy said, sitting down by the edge of the bed.

"I was studying...and then Raphael and I went looking for a book" Simon shook his head "Raphael! H-Have you seen him? where is he?"

"He's alright" Alec spoke finally "Magnus, Ragnor and Catarina are with him"

"Is he hurt?" Simon asked him.

"Not that I know of" Alec shook his head.

"Simon focus!" Clary exclaimed "Tell us everything"

"Guys, he already said he doesn't remember" Alec frowned at his siblings and Clary.

"He must remember something" Jace rolled his eyes.

"Why are you so interested?" Simon asked "What's going on?"

"This is the second explosion that happens in the castle" Clary explained "We want to find out who is causing them all"

 

Simon's eyes moved towards Alec, but the oldest Gryffindor shook his head just slightly. Simon didn't like keeping secrets from Clary, but their main suspect was her older brother. Somehow, telling her that did not seem like a good idea.

 

"I'm sorry guys" Simon shook his head "I really don't remember seeing anything"

"Maybe we should talk to Jonathan once again" Clary sighed

"Jonathan? Your brother Jonathan?" Simon frowned "Why would you talk to him?"

"He was the one that alerted the professors" Clary said "He got lucky! He has just walked out of the library when the explosion went off"

 

Simon's eyes widened as did Alec's. It seemed like the oldest Lightwood did not know that piece of information. Alec's eyes met Simon and the Hufflepuff knew he needed to talk to Raphael, Magnus, Catarina, and Ragnor right away.

 

"I-I'm sorry guys" Simon said "I really want to see Raphael now"

"I'll take you to him" Alec said "I have to talk to Magnus anyway"

 

Simon nodded, murmuring a quick goodbye to his friends before he and Alec walked off towards where Raphael bed was located. Simon coughed a bit as he moved, walking slowly. His whole body ached with the effort. It all faded to the background when he saw Raphael. He was sitting down on the bed just as Simon had been moments before. Catarina was sitting next to him, tussling his hair with affection. Ragnor and Magnus were sitting down on the chairs that had been placed next to the bed.

 

"Rapha" Simon spoke as he approached them.

"Simon! You're alright" Raphael said. He tried to stand up, but Catarina pushed him back.

 

Simon shuffled closer until he could sit on Raphael's other side. Once they were close enough, they hugged each other tightly.

 

"I was so worried" Simon spoke against Raphael's hair.

"I'm alright" Raphael said, his face in the space between Simon's neck and shoulder "Estoy bien"

"We're glad to see you up, Simon" Catarina spoke as they parted.

"We were going to visit you as soon as your other friends left" Ragnor explained.

"It's alright" Simon shook his head.

"We just found out something" Alec spoke. He looked around, making sure nobody was around to overhear their conversation.

"What is it?" Magnus asked with a frown.

"Jonathan is the one that alerted the professors of the fire" Alec said

"Clary said Jonathan had just walked out of the library when it happened" Simon explained.

"Well if that isn't suspicious then I don't know what it is" Ragnor mused.

"Clary, Izzy, and Jace are also looking into who is causing the fires" Simon explained "They were asking me all kinds of questions about what happened"

"Why are they looking into the explosions?" Catarina asked.

"My bet is they are just being noisy" Raphael grumbled.

"Do you think they know something we don't?" Ragnor asked quietly.

"I don't think so" Alec shook his head "But I'll see if Izzy or Jace spill anything"

"I think Jonathan is trying to use Clary" Simon said "It just seems too weird that all of a sudden he is interested in being her brother again, right when these fires are going off"

"We need to find a way to point it all to him" Magnus shook his head "And it better be soon before another explosion happens"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter!   
> Let me know what you think with your comments and your kudos!
> 
> Also, I posted a new story called 'Burning Through the Hours Talking' and it is a Saphael airport!AU. I'm thinking about doing more with that story, but I am unsure. So go check that one out :) 
> 
> Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry it took me some time to post this. I was unsure if I should make this the last chapter or write some more. In the end, I decided to end this one here.
> 
> I hope to post the next part of the series soon, though I make no promises.
> 
> Thanks to everyone that has been reading my stories. It means to the world to me to have your support on this.

"Dear students" Headmistress Penhallow called out.

 

All the students and professors were reunited in the Great Hall. It was a few days after the explosion of the library. Classes had been cancelled after the event, giving the students that had been caught in the fire to get better. Some students had been pulled out of school by their parents. The explosions had made it to the news really quickly and most of the parents were raging about the lack of protection for their kids.

 

"Please, settle down" Headmistress Penhallow spoke, using a spell to make her voice louder. "Unfortunately, we can no longer call Hogwarts a safe place for our students. As you all know, there have been two explosions from an unknown source in the last couple of weeks. As the safety of our students is our outmost priority, we have decided to close the castle until the reparations of the Library, Kitchen, and Hufflepuff Common Room have been completed"

 

The whole room started to buzz with activity. Many students raised their voices with questions. Some asking about how long it would take, others asking about their classes, some others asking about who had been causing the explosions.

 

"I know it most be confusing for all of you" Headmistress Penhallow called, silencing everyone "Believe me when I tell you we are doing everything we can to bring back the order of the school. However, until further notice, you are all to return home"

 

Headmistress Penhallow excused herself and walked out of the Great Hall. Some professors stayed behind, instructing the students that the castle was to be vacated by the next day at night. Owls had already been sent towards all the families with the news and all of the students were to pack their stuff right away.

 

"I just can't believe it" Simon said once they were all in the Slytherin Common Room.

"They didn't even talk about who is causing the explosions" Magnus frowned "It's as if they're keeping it a secret"

"I'm afraid there's not much we can do now" Raphael shrugged, folding a sweater and placing it inside his trunk. "They're kicking us out of the castle"

"Do you think there is another reason they're telling us to go?" Simon asked, folding his own clothes "Other than the reparations, I mean"

"Maybe they don't want us to find out what is happening" Magnus suggested.

"It just feels unsettling" Simon frowned, closing his trunk. 

"We'll keep looking" Raphael said, moving to take hold of Simon's hand. "Maybe once we're not restricted to the castle we can find more information"

"We'll keep in touch" Magnus nodded.

 

***

 

Simon made his way towards the Gryffindor Common Room. He wanted to see Clary and Izzy before they left. It was still unknown how long they would stay out of the castle. Guesses were just for a few weeks, others said until the Christmas Break. But Christmas was still a month and a half away, so Simon doubted they would need to stay out of the castle for that long. Though he couldn't know for sure, Professor Penhallow had not explained how long classes would be suspended. 

Simon was unsure how his mother would take the news on him arriving before the Christmas Break. Elaine Lewis still had a hard time wrapping her mind around the concept of her son being a wizard. Simon's first few years in Hogwarts had been hard, unable to return home until the end of year break, and even then he stayed with Clary's family because his mother would not accept him home. She had come around it during Simon's third and fourth year. But even now, she was still weary about the whole thing. Simon wondered how his mother would take to the news that he was dating a pure-blood wizard. 

 

Simon was about to round a corner, but he came to a sudden halt when he heard angry voices on the other corridor. The hufflepuff looked around, making sure there was no one near him, and then peered on the other side of the wall. Jonathan Morgenstern was there, pointing an accusatory finger at one of the Professors at Hogwarts, Hodge Starkweather.

 

"You old fool!" Jonathan hissed.

 

Simon pulled back and pressed himself to the wall. He closed his eyes in a silent prayer that none of them had seen him. But the other two kept arguing and didn't seem to mind if anyone was around to hear them.

 

"I was doing as he commanded us to!" Hodge hissed back "What were you doing?!"

"Careful" Jonathan taunted "You don't want to enrage my father any further, do you?"

"I did just as I was told" Hodge insisted

"You were supposed to kill the boy!" Jonathan snapped. "The first bomb was supposed to do the job! Make it seem like an accident, with too many casualties for anyone to notice who we were targeting"

 

Simon gasped, pressing a hand to his mouth to keep his breathing from being too loud. He inched closer, making sure he was still hidden, but wanting to hear clearer what was being said. 

 

"Bombs are unpredictable" Hodge replied "I warned you from the beginning"

"And I am warning you now" Jonathan said, his voice deadly calm "My father will not take kindly to your mistakes. Hogwarts is shutting down and that boy is still alive"

"That boy will be vulnerable outside of Hogwarts" Hodge insisted.

"We'll wait for my father's orders" Jonathan hissed "Just pray he does not kill you for your incompetence"

 

Simon heard footsteps and he bolted away before he could be caught. He ran down the corridors, trying to keep his footsteps silent as to not alert the other two. He did not stop running even as he reached a more crowded area of the castle. He ran down the stairs, pushing people off his way and apologizing over his shoulders. He didn't stop running until he was in the Slytherin Common Room, in Raphael's bedroom. 

His boyfriend was there, putting away the last of his things. The Slytherin looked up as Simon burst inside the room, his eyes wide and grasping for air.

 

"Simon?" Raphael asked, approaching him "Simon! What happened? Are you alright?"

"I...I k-know w-who..." Simon gasped, hugging Raphael tightly against him.

"breathe, mi amor" Raphael murmured against his ear "It's okay...you're safe...talk to me"

"I k-know who caused the explosions" Simon said, pulling away from Raphael just enough to look him in the face

"Who did it?" Raphael asked, his eyebrows raising.

"We were right! We were right this whole time!" Simon exclaimed, his eyes wide and his cheeks flushed "It was Jonathan Morgenstern"

"Are you sure?" Raphael's eyes widened

"I heard him talking to Professor Starkweather. Both of them are working for Valentine"

"Professor Starkweather was involved" Raphael repeated, his voice showing the disbelief.

"That's not all" Simon shook his head. His hands trembling, so Raphael took hold of them to steady them. "They talked about murdering a boy...they were targeting someone"

"Did they say who?" Raphael demanded to know.

"No" Simon shook his head "But it has to be someone from Hufflepuff. Someone that was in the library the night of the explosion"

"We need to tell the others" 

 

***

 

They had no time to talk with everyone else until they were in the Hogwarts Express on their way back to London. Magnus had claimed a compartment and shooed away anyone that tried to get inside before they all arrived. In the end, there were just the six of them. Catarina closed the doors of the compartment and pulled down the blinds. Ragnor enchanted the room so nobody on the outside could hear their conversation. 

Simon started to retell everything. The place he had been at, at what time, and who he had seen and heard. The others were not shocked with the confirmation that Jonathan Morgenstern was involved, though they were surprised to hear about Professor Starkweather.

 

"Hodge has been a family friend for years" Alec shook his head "There is no way he could be working for Valentine..."

"He said he was just doing what he was told" Simon insisted "He and Jonathan worked on the bombs and they were targeting somebody from my house"

"Are you sure whoever they are targeting is from Hufflepuff?" Catarina asked.

"They bombed the kitchen and the Hufflepuff common room. It has to be someone from Hufflepuff" Simon insisted

"Why would Valentine Morgenstern be targeting someone from Hufflepuff?" Magnus asked with a frown.

"Maybe it has something to do with the uprising he had against the Ministry" Ragnor suggested.

"What uprising?" Simon asked.

"When Valentine graduated from Hogwarts, he started working at the Ministry of Magic right away" Raphael explained. "He worked there for about a year before he started to go against it"

"He gathered followers that shared his ideas and together they fought against the Ministry" Catarina continued.

"His ideas?" Simon frowned "What were his ideas?"

"To vanish all muggle-born wizards" Alec said, his voice low. 

"His followers believed that muggle-born wizards were not pure, some kind of abomination" Magnus shuddered "They thought that wizards could be stronger if magic was kept between pure-blood"

"What about half-bloods?" Simon asked.

"If the family was strong enough, they were considered pure-bloods. Otherwise, they were treated just like muggle-borns"

"Valentine and his followers murdered hundreds of muggle-borns" Raphael said, his voice hard.

"And he didn't stop there" Ragnor scowled "He went after were-wolves, vampires, metamorphmagus...any kinds of wizards that could be considered 'monsters'"

"If Valentine did all that...then why is he free?" Simon asked. "How can he be on the loose? What about his followers?"

"There was war" Raphael responded "They managed to capture Valentine, but the Ministry was corrupted by his followers. He did some years in Azkaban and then was set free"

"What?" Simon asked in disbelief "How could anyone let that happen?"

"Many of his followers were powerful families of the wizarding world" Alec explained "They all received their own punishment. Many redeem themselves, others stayed loyal"

 

The compartment stayed silent for a long time. Simon fidgeted on his place, linking his hands with Raphael's. Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec, nuzzling against his neck. Catarina and Ragnor seemed to be lost in thoughts.

 

"So what do we do?" Simon dared to ask, his voice barely a whisper.

"I don't think there's anything we can do" Magnus sighed.

"If Valentine is rising again, we'll have to be careful" Ragnor said.

"We'll keep an eye out" Raphael said.

"We have to find out who they were targeting" Catarina said "If they were looking to kill someone in specific, that means there's something important about this boy"

"We'll look into it" Alec said "But we have to be careful. If word gets to Valentine that we are investigating him, things will get ugly really quickly."


End file.
